Tracker-bar.



W. P. COOPER TRACKER BAR. APPLICATION FILED 001. 27, 1908.

1,032,467. Patented July 16, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

( [AVENTOR Zziomeys W. P. COOPER.

TRACKER BAR;

APPLIGATION FILED o cTQ'zv, 190s.

Patented July 16, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

[NVENT R v v U P i BUUUUDDUBUUUUDDU.UnEUHzHzUHzUUUUUDUNUU uUUUUDUUUUUUDUUUUUUUBUUUUUUUUDUDB v WILLIAM F. COOPER, OF NOBWALK, OHIO.

TRACKER-BAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1912.

Application filed October 27, 1908. Serial msesaeeo.

{To all whom it may concern; Be it known that I, vWILLIAM F. 'Coornn, a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Norwalk, in thecounty of'Huron and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tracker Bars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in tracker bars, and has particular relation to the manner of connecting the bar with the tracker ducts leading to the pneumatic mechanism. I

Self-playing musical instruments the operation of which is controlled by the use of music sheets having perforations, have gen erally been arranged in such manner as to provide for the use of but a portion of the note-scale of the instrument. For instance, self-playing pianos have generally been provided with mechanism controlling approximately sixty-five notes of the note-scale of the piano; and the sheets prepared for a note-scale of this type have their perforationsarranged within the limits of this scale. It has been found, however, that this limited'scale does not permit of the perforn ance of certain classes of music, in that the proper execution of the music requires a note-scale greater than that provided by the playing instrument, necessitating a change 1n.the arrangement of the music if the selection is to be performed on thc instrument. To eliminate this and other objections, the note-scale has been increased to such an ex tent as to include substantially the entire note-scale of the piano, thereby raising the number of actuating mechanisms from sixtyfive to approximately eighty-eight. By this change, however, the tracker box mechanism 'must be lengthened to provide for the additional number of tracker ducts in the tracker bar or board, and to avoid increasing the length of the board to an excessive degree,

the ducts in the board have been decreasedin length on the plane of the opening there! of, the general arrangement beingto provide nine ducts to the inch in place of the six ducts to the inch structure used with the sixty-five note-scale tracker board. Obviously, corresponding changes are made in the perforations of the music sheet, so that a music sheet formed for use in connection with a sixty-five note-scale structure and vice versa, cannot be used with the same tracker board ducts, since the perforations in one would not coincide with the tracker -duct openings used for the other. However,

music sheets perforated for both forms of note-scale are now in current use, and in order that either form may be employed in connection with a playing mechanism, it is necessary that the playing mechanism in eluding. the trackerbox structure be formed to permit of the use of music sheets of either type.

m The principal object therefore of my in vention is to provide a playing mechanism I in which the actuating devices are equal in number to the number of tracker ducts used in a note-scale of the maximum length, and in connection therewith to provide a tracker bar having tracker duct openings arranged to permit of the use of either form of music sheet in connection therewith. ,r

A further object is to provide atracker bar having its operative duet openings located at one side of a line extending centrally along the face of the bar in a longitudinal direction. a i

A further'object is to form a tracker bar of more than a singlepart, oneof said parts being adjustable with respect to another part to produce. a change in size of the tracker ductsat the exposed end thereof] A further object is to provide a reversible tracker bar. f a I A further object is to provide a tracker bar having. more than a single line of tracker,

ducts, each; line'having the same operative position, the positions of said lines being interchangeable to bring them into the operative positio nn I v A further ob ect 18 to provlde a tracker bar formed of two members, one of which is-rcversible' end 'for end with. respect toxthe other member, and means for oinmg the two members together when in either position.

of the views, l5igurc l is a side elevation parts hereinafter fullyillustrated in the I accompanyinglarly pointed ,out in of a tracker bar constructed in accordance ice, I To these and other endszthe nature of mounted at the opposite side of the bar, Fig; 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. i isa top plan,

view of the tracker bar, Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the same, Fig. 6 is a si e elevation of portions of the tracker bar, showing a modified form of the means for connecting the two members of the bar, Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional View, partly broken away, showing the parts of the tracker bar between the cheeks of a tracker box.

In view of the fact that the present invention relates solely to the construction oi' the tracker bar, and the fact that the manner in which the tracker ducts leading from the pneumatic action to the tracker bar and the form in which the board as a whole is mounted within the tracker box is immaterial, the disclosure herein is limited solely to the tracker bar construction, it being understood that the portion of the bar to which the permanently positioned tracker ducts are led is secured in permanent position within the tracker box, and that the ducts leading thereto are arranged in the usual manner and are of the type generally used.

, The tracker board comprises two members 2A and B, the member A being permanently g secured within the tracker box and to whic The parts 6 and b are the tracker ducts a lead, the member B forming what I term the reversible member. The member A is provided with openings extending vertically therethrough and arranged atone side of the longitudinal center thereof, are a series of openings a, the number of openings corresponding to the number of ducts a. The upper face of the member A is fiat, and the tracker ducts lead to the plane of the said flat face. The tracker ducts a. are equal in number to the maximum note-scale, as for instance, if the music sheet comprises a scale of eighty-eight notes, the ducts a will be of equal number therewith.

The member B comprises two opposing parts complemental to that of the face of the member A, while the part b has a rounded upper faceover which the music sheet passes during its movement from one spool to another. connected by tracker ducts b and 6, these ducts being arranged in two series, each series being located on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of said parts, and having the openings of the ends of the ducts located equally distant from the side edges of the parts, viz., the openings in the part'b are in alinement in each series, and the openings of one series are spaced from the adjacent side of the part the same distance that the openings of p the other series are spaced from its adjacent side, while the openings in the part'b are arranged so that when the member B is reversed end for end, the openings n the part b and b,.the part I) having a face 6 for one series of ducts will register with the openings in the member A, the series of duct openings of the member B equal in number to the maximum n0te-scale coinciding with all of the openings ofthe'ducts in member A, while the series of the smaller note scale register will register with a pre' determined number of the duct openings in member A.

A suitable packing O, properly perforated, is interposed between the members A and B and serves to provide an air-tight joint between said members, each duct being practically.continuous from onemember to the other through the perforations of thepacking and air-tightwith respect to each other. Any suitable means may be provided for connectin the two members A and B toether. or instance, in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

have shown the part b as having side faces provided with a longitudinally-extending groove 1), one of said grooves being adapted to receive a lug cl carried by a plate D secured to the member A, the opposite groove being adapted to receive the free end of a spring d carried by the member A on the opposite side of saidpart, the spring d having its end suitably shapedto normally rest within the groove. Withthis form of connecting means it is necessary only to withdraw theen'd of the spring d from its groove and move the member B laterally to take it out of the plane of the lug d, or it is necessary only to move the member B laterally against the tension of the spring until the lug d is free from its engagement with the part b whereupon the member 13 may be raised and reversed, the re-positioning of ing the spring d and placing the part b in such position that the lug d enters its groove, the spring d then clamping the parts together. v

Another means of connecting the memthe spring may be replaced by a plate E *clined faces 6, said plate being slidable in the direction of the length of the member A, the hook or hooks 6, being adapted to pass over pins 6 carried by. the part b, a knob 6 being provided to manipulate the plate. With this construction the movement of the plate in the direction of its length tends to firmly bind or to release the member B according to the direction in which the plate is may be used tracker board; where used on but one side,

plates Owing to the fact that member B is reversible end for end, the openings for the tracker ducts contained in the part b are similar in all respects in each series of openbers together is shown in Fig. 6 in which the op isisite side may be provided with the the member being obtained by simply movhaving one or more hooks 6 formed with inmoved. The construction shown in Fig. 6 a

on one or both sides of the ings, that is, the openings are of the same size and spaced'apart the same distance 111 both series. This is not the case in connection with the openings at the opposite end of the ducts; those openings contained in the part b, in which the openings in one series are ar anged to provide for the music sheet for a notescale of eighty-eight notes, the perforations for the notes being arranged on a scale of nine to the inch, while the other series is arranged for a note-scale of sixty-five notes, the notes being arranged on a scale of six to the inch. The member B may therefore be said to have its faces on which the openings for the ducts are located provided with more than a single series of openings, the openings correspondlng in number on both faces, the relative arrange ment of the series of openings being dissimilar on the two faces.

As will be seen, the two series of tracker ducts carried by the member B are mounted to be interchangeably positioned on the single series of ducts carried by the member A, and that although both series of ducts are open at the top and bottom of the member B, this fact does not affect the operation of the mechanism since but one series of ducts in the member B is in operative relation with the ducts of the playing mechanism, so

that the venting of the ducts of the lattermechanism can take place only in connection with the series which is in operative connection with the permanently positioned ducts. And in View of the fact that the openings of the active ducts in the part b are located in the same position regardless of which series is in operation, enables the operator to determine accurately the instant at which the openings in the sheet Will register with those in the tracker bar, for the purpose of accent, it being one of the objects of the present invention to facilitate this by keeping the operative series of openingsin one position relative to the motion of the sheet, no matter which scale may be in use.

As indicated in the drawings, the opposing faces of the=member A and part b are approximately equal in facial width, an that in either position of member-B the sides of these parts are in superposed alinemen't'. By this construction the member A is of sufficient width to provide a supportfor member B throughout the entire width of said member B and thereby eliminating liability of. a rocking-of said member during the passage of the notesheet, but is not of excessive greater width,than said member B, so that there is no requirement of the provision of an excessively large tracker box, it being understood, of course, that sli ht differences of width due' to workmans ip will not affect the fact of the parts being of approximately equal facial width. Another ble member.

advantage due to this feature lies in the fact that a visual positioning of the members is possible. and that there is an avoidance'of any interchanging positioning devices within the area of these o 'iposing faces, this latter fact eliminating liability of damaging the parts such as would result by any attempt to disengage concealed interlocking connections shouldthe latter become frictionally bound together.

tVhile I have herein disclosed a prcfcrabl construction and arrangement of parts for attaining the desired ends, it willbe understood that the same may be modified, changed or varied; I therefore desire it to be understood that I reserve the right to make such necessary and desired modifications of the structure shown as may come fully within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. 4

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A tracker bar comprising more than asingle member, said members being separable and having an unequal number of ducts,

one of said members being reversible end.

for end, and means for fixedly and rigidly securing said members together with registering ducts in either position of the reversi- 2. A tracker bar comprising a permanentlyqaositioned member, an independent member separable from and positionable relatively to said first named member, said members having an unequal .number of se-- ries of ducts and being positionable to operatlvely connect the series of ducts of one member with one of the series of ducts of i the other member, the opposing faces of said members being of approximately equal facial width, the sides of the members being in saperposed alinel'nent-in any of the duct eonnectmg positions and connecting means lpcated on the sides of the members for congecting the members with registering ducts, the change in series connection of ducts being provided by a separation of the members and a repositioning in changed position of the members relative to each other.

3. Atracker bar comprising two separable members having an unequal number of ducts, said members in operative position having registering ducts and being p'ositionable relative to each other to change the relationship in registration of the ducts of the members, the opposing faces of said members being of approximately equal facial width, the sides of the members being in superposed alinement in any of the duct connecting positions, and connecting means located on the sides of the members for em necting them together with registering ducts, said members being supported relatively to each other'to prevent a change in ducts, the ducts of one member being greater in number than the ducts in the other member, said members being normally fixedly and rigidly secured together with registering ducts and being supported relatively to each other toprevent a change in duct registration by movements other than a separatron of the members, said removable member being reversible end for end to vary the duct registration.

5. A tracker bar comprising a permanently positioned member and a removable member, said members combinedly carrying ducts, said permanently positioned member having a single series of duct openings, the removable member being reversible end for end and having more than a single series of openings, either one of said series being adapted to register with the series of the other member when the members are connected, said members being normally fixedly and rigidly fixed together with registering ducts and being supported relatively to each other to prevent a change in duct registration by movements other than a separation of the members.

6. The combination with a tracker bar having a series of venting ducts, of a removable tracker board having two series of ducts, each of which is registrable with the ducts of said tracker bar, said board being supported relatively to the tracker bar to prevent a change in duct registration by movements other than a separation of board and bar and being reversible end for end, said board and bar being normally fixedly and rigidly secured together with registering ducts. i

7. Thecombination with a tracker 'liar having a series of venting ducts, of a. removable tracker board having two series of ducts, each of which is registrable with the ducts ofsaid tracker bar, said board being supported relatively to the tracker barto prevent. a change in duct registration by movements other than a separation of board and bar and being reversible end for end, said board and bar being normally fixedly and rigidly secured together with registering ducts, each series of duct openings on the exposed face of the board being dissimilarly. spaced.

8. A tracker bar comprising two separable members having an unegual number of ducts, said. members being supported relatively toeach other to prevent a change in duct registration by movements other than a. separation of the members and pocured together with registering ports, the

sides of the members being in superposed alinement in any of the duct connecting positions.

9. A tracker bar comprising two separable members combinedly carrying tracker ducts, one of said members having two series of tracker openings, said members being supported relatively, to each other to prevent a change in duct registration by movements other than a separation of the members, one of said members being reversible end for end, and means for securing 'said'memb'ers together with the reversible member in either of its positions, said members being normally fixedly and rigidly secured together with registering orts.

10. In a tracker bar tor mechanical mu sical'instruments, the combination of a stationary joining bar and a detachable bar said detachable bar having two series 0% openings, said detachable bar being supported relatively to the joining bar and to prevent a change induct registration by movements other than a separation of the detachable bar from the joining bar, said detachable bar being reversible end for end when so separated, and means for attachin said detachable bar to said joining bar, said bars being normally fixedly and rigidly secured together with registering ports.

11. In a' tracker ban for mechanical musical instruments, the combination of a sta: tionary joining bar having one series of ducts, and a detachable bar, said detachable bar having two series of ducts, said detachable bar being supported relatively to the joining bar and to prevent a, change in duct registration by movements other than a separation of the detachable bar from the joining bar, said detachable bar being reversible end forend when so separated, and means for attaching said detachable bar to said joining bar, said bars bein normal-1y fixedly two series of ducts, the opposing faces 0 said members being of aproximately'equal facial width, and means or attaching said bars together with either series of detachablebar dncts in registratachable bar to prevent a change in duct 'registrationby movements other than 21 sepbars tion of the ducts of the joining bar, said dearatiori of the detachable bar from the joinbar, said means being located on the in sides of-the bars and. forming a stop against '13. in a tracker-bar, a stationary joining bar having one series of duets, vand a detach-- able bar harm tvgo series or'ducts, the 0pposing faces or said members being of ap proximately equal facial width,- and means for attaching said bars together in either of two positions, each position registering a difi'erent series of the two series of the detachable bar with the one series of the joining bar, registration of the ducts of the joining bar, said detachable bar to prevent a changein duct registration by movements other than a separation of the detachable bar from the joining bar, said means being" located on the sides of the bars and forming a stop against a change in relative position of the ducts of the bars in a lateral direction, whereby separation of the bars is required prior to a change in duct connection, the sides of the bars being in superposed alinernent in any .of the duct connecting positions.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two wltnesses.

WILLIAM F. COOPER.

Witnesses:

' EDGAR L. MARTIN,

Rors'r. G. MORRISON. 

